The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) develops technical specifications and implementation agreements to promote interoperability and deployment of Carrier Ethernet worldwide. MEF Technical Specification 6.1 defines a particular Ethernet service type called Ethernet-Tree (or E-Tree), which is based on a Rooted-Multipoint Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). In a simple form, an E-Tree Service type may provide a single root for multiple leaf user network interfaces (UNIs) or nodes. Each leaf UNI can exchange data with only the root UNI. E-Tree service may be useful for Internet access or video-over-IP applications, such as multicast/broadcast packet video.
Typical performance monitoring of E-Tree services provides data that is not particular to an individual leaf UNI. Such monitoring may not allow for accurate evaluation of the performance on each path (e.g., a root to leaf UNI path). Furthermore, such monitoring makes troubleshooting problems with the E-Tree service more difficult, since the performance of any particular leaf UNI may not be discernable in the overall performance results.